If it has stopped being fun, stop.

The one rule that matters

Gambling is entertainment with a price attached, and the price is the money you lose. It is not income, it is not a way out of a debt, and it is not a skill that improves with practice. The moment it becomes any of those things in your head, the arrangement has changed and it is no longer working for you.

Never wager money you cannot afford to lose. Never borrow to gamble. Never chase a loss — chasing is the single most reliable way a manageable evening becomes an unmanageable year.

Ten questions worth answering honestly

If more than two or three of these are true, it is worth talking to someone today.

• Have you gambled for longer than you meant to, more than once?
• Have you gambled with money set aside for something else?
• Have you tried to win back losses on the same day you made them?
• Have you borrowed money, or sold something, to keep gambling?
• Have you lied to someone close to you about how much you gamble?
• Have you felt restless or irritable when you tried to cut down?
• Has gambling affected your work, study, sleep or health?
• Have you gambled to escape stress, loneliness or low mood?
• Have you felt guilt or shame after gambling?
• Have you thought about gambling when you were meant to be doing something else?

There is a fuller, confidential self-assessment on the BeGambleAware website. It takes a few minutes and nobody sees the result but you.

Controls every UK-licensed operator must give you

These are not favours. Operators licensed by the Gambling Commission are required to provide them, and we score every brand on how easy they are to reach.

• Deposit limits — daily, weekly or monthly. Set one before you deposit anything, not after. A reduction takes effect immediately; an increase is held for a cooling-off period first, which exists precisely to protect a decision made in a bad moment.
• Loss limits — a ceiling on net losses over a period, which is often a truer control than a deposit cap.
• Session limits and reality checks — a timed reminder that interrupts a session and tells you how long you have been there.
• Time-out — a short break, typically 24 hours to six weeks, applied immediately and without needing to explain yourself.
• Self-exclusion — a formal minimum six-month closure with the operator, which they must enforce and must not market around.
• Marketing preferences — you can switch off all promotional contact at any time.

Blocking software and bank controls

Two further layers are worth knowing about, because they work even when willpower does not.

• Bank blocks. Most UK banks and app-based accounts now offer a gambling block that refuses these transactions at the card level, often with a 24- or 48-hour cooling-off period before it can be lifted. Ask your bank, or look in the app settings.
• Blocking software. Gamban, BetBlocker and similar tools block gambling websites and applications across your devices. BetBlocker is free. These also help protect children sharing a household device.

Under 18

Gambling in the United Kingdom is restricted to adults aged 18 or over. This publication is intended only for adults and nothing here is designed to appeal to children. If a young person has access to your devices, use parental controls and blocking software, and keep payment details out of saved browser storage.

Supporting someone else

If it is not you but someone close to you, help exists for you too. GamCare runs support for friends and family through the same free helpline, and Gam-Anon holds meetings specifically for the people around a gambler. You do not have to solve it alone, and you do not have to have all the answers before you ask for help.